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Public School in India after Independence

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The majority of the Public schools in India, are of comparatively recent origin and are identical and modelled more or less on the Public School System of England. This system of education was transplanted in India by the British administrators for imparting education to their own children.

Some of the feudatory chiefs, slavish princess and aristocrats also welcomed this pattern of education for their own benefit. At present some schools at Dehradun, Delhi, Shimla, Darjeeling, Gwalior etc. are recognized by the Public School Conference. There are also a number of other educational institutions which are run more or less on the lines of the public schools.

The programme of studies, the members of the staff, the co-curricular activities and various other aspects of those schools are considerably better than that of the ordinary schools of the country. These schools generally charge high fees, pay higher scales of salary to their teachers and adopt English as the medium of instruction. The number of these schools is almost microscopic in comparison to the total number of educational institutions in India.

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No doubt these schools have a very prestige because of their standards, traditions, activities and of welcoming the children of the most powerful section of the community. Yet these schools are not befitting to the traditions and culture of our country. These schools create an important problem in social integration by creating a separate class from the rest of the community.

Besides academic subjects, though there is provision for development of the different aspects of student’s personality and inculcation of qualities of leadership, yet the subjects have got no link with the community and isolated from life. As a result, the students face difficulties to adjust with the environment after coming out from the schools. In a democratic country like ours, this type of school is not only undemocratic but also injurious, as it produces a narrow-minded snob, one who will be ill fitted to take his proper place in a democratic society.

When the fundamental rights of the Indian constitutions have guaranteed equal opportunity for all, these types of schools meant for the privileged few have no place in democratic set up. The Education Commission, 1964-66, has made a powerful indictment against the present segregation in education itself, the minority of private, fee-charging, better schools meeting the needs of “the upper classes and the vast bulk of free, publicly maintained, but poor schools being utilized by the rest’. Further, the Commission pointed out “what is worse this segregation is increasing and tending to widen the gulf between the classes and the masses”.

The existence of public schools in our educational system will not serve the actual needs of the country and will impede the growth of a classless society. In these schools, though (here is scope and facility for the brighter children of rich classes, yet a number of gifted and brilliant children belonging to poor parents are deprived of that opportunity and have no alternative than joining common schools.

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The poor parents have no ability to afford good education for their children like the economically privileged parents. When the political leaders and thinkers of our country are thinking of socialism and socialistic pattern of society, the existence of separate schools for privileged class is no doubt create a feeling of disgust and distrust among the ordinary masses. The Commission 1964-66, has very forcefully said that whatever the past history of the so called public school may be they have “no valid place in the new democratic and socialistic society that we desire to create”.

After considering the matter carefully, the Secondary Education Commission, 1952-53 opined “if public schools are properly organised and training is given on right lines, they can help to develop correct attitudes and behaviour and enable their students to become useful citizens. There are greater opportunities in these schools than in the majority of secondary schools for developing certain essential traits of character including the qualities of leadership, because of the special facilities that they can offer ………. “.

The Secondary Education Commission has laid down the following principles for the working of the public schools:

(i) The public schools should not be a special or exclusive institutions. It may have its roots in the soil of the country and must generally conform to the normal pattern of Indian education;

(ii) Public schools should place due stress not only on the spirit of sportsmanship but also on all other important aspects of citizenship, the dignity of labour and a social sense.

According to the Education commission, 1964-66, ‘India must move towards a goal of common school system which will be opened to all children irrespective of caste, creed, community, religion, economic condition or social status, where access to good education will depend not on wealth or class but on talent in which no tuition fee will be charged. If we are to keep such ideals before us, then there will be no existence of public schools, as they are run today in the great Indian democracy.

In an economically backward country like India, the expensive public schools cannot cater to the needs of really bright, gifted and competent students belonging to the poorer sections of the community’. However, to justify the existence of public schools in free India, the reorganization of these schools in the light of the needs of the democratic India is indispensable.